Total Lead Content

The limits on lead content in children's products have contributed to a successful effort by all federal health and safety agencies to lower the blood lead level in children. This page provides information for businesses seeking guidance on how to comply with the federal consumer product safety rules on lead.

What are the federal requirements limiting the total lead content in children's products?

Total Lead Content

With a few limited exceptions explained below, all children's products manufactured after August 14, 2011, must not contain more than 100 parts per million (ppm) of total lead content in accessible parts.

Lead in Paint and Similar Surface Coatings

All children's products, including toys, and some furniture, for adult and children, must not contain a concentration of lead greater than 0.009 percent (90 parts per million) in paint or any similar surface coatings. Household paint must also meet this requirement. Please see our webpage on lead in paint and similar surface coatings (under construction) for information on this requirement.

Is third party testing and certification required for the total lead content requirements?

The effective enforcement date for third party testing and certification is January 1, 2012 and applies to products manufactured after December 31, 2011. Remember that compliance with the underlying ban itself is currently required.

(For metal components in children's metal jewelry, the effective enforcement date for third party testing and certification was March 23, 2009 for products manufactured after that date.)

What are the exceptions?

Metal components of bicycles may not contain more that 300 ppm of total lead content. The lead content limits do not apply to youth sized ATVs and to certain used children's products. However, not all used children's products are exempted from the limits. Used children's metal jewelry with more than 300 ppm lead can never be resold. Likewise, if the reseller knows the product violates the lead content limits it cannot be resold. Generally, a used children's product is one that is either donated to charity or being sold by the user of the product.

Where can I learn more?

This page serves as the primary resource for all information related to the limits on total lead content in children's products.

This communication has been prepared for general informational purposes only and is based upon the facts and information presented. This communication does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice and has not been reviewed or approved by the Commission, and does not necessarily represent their views. Any views expressed in this communication may be changed or superseded by the Commission.

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)

The CPSIA of 2008 authorized a variety of new regulations and testing requirements for children’s products and some non-children’s products. If you are a manufacturer, importer, distributor, or retailer of consumer goods, all of your products must comply with the CPSIA and other laws enforced by the CPSC.

You are about to leave the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) public website.

The link you selected is for a destination outside of the Federal Government. CPSC does not control this external site or its privacy policy and cannot attest to the accuracy of the information it contains. You may wish to review the privacy policy of the external site as its information collection practices may differ from ours. Linking to this external site does not constitute an endorsement of the site or the information it contains by CPSC or any of its employees.

Click Ok if you wish to continue to the website; otherwise, click Cancel to return to our site.

The link you selected is for a destination outside of the Federal Government. CPSC does not control this external site or its privacy policy and cannot attest to the accuracy of the information it contains. You may wish to review the privacy policy of the external site as its information collection practices may differ from ours. Linking to this external site does not constitute an endorsement of the site or the information it contains by CPSC or any of its employees.

Click Ok if you wish to continue to the website; otherwise, click Cancel to return to our site.